Students

Certain forms are required for your safety, success, and recording of community learning. Students
should complete the Community Learning Plan and other forms as required.

Faculty

Conducting community learning activities in the community can involve risk. Risk management
provides tools to identify areas of potential difficulty. This information and these
tools can be used to reduce risk by educating and preparing stakeholders (the university,
students, and community partners). Identifying risk in advance reduces concerns about
liability that may undermine a program or project.

Best practices for risk management

A Community Learning Agreement is established between the SJSU Center for Community
Learning & Leadership and the community organization/placement site regarding student
service activities and liability.

Students assess and understand any risk such that they can provide informed consent
prior to engaging in service activities, that is, by completing a Student Community
Learning Plan.

Students understand their roles and have the training, knowledge, skills and tools
to perform their service duties safely and effectively.

All stakeholders (students, faculty, community site supervisors) are encouraged to
report problems, potential hazards or feelings of being physically or emotionally
at risk.

Faculty member monitors students' service experiences and addresses risk issues quickly
if they arise.

Risk management tools and forms are provided by the Center for Community Learning & Leadership. They have been created
by a group of CSU community learning practitioners and risk managers for practical
and legal reasons to:

Help protect the instructor, the university, the community partner, and the students
from taking unnecessary legal and physical risks;

Track student placements and service hours as well as clarify student commitment and
accountability;

Encourage the community placement site to establish plans for training, orientation
and supervision - critical elements for reducing risk to students;

Establish agreements between the university and community agency, protecting both
in the event of an accident or incident and;

Prompt the exchange of important information such that all participants are informed
of and prepared to accept the risks of engaging in the community learning activities.

Advise your students to visit this website, particularly the student section, for an orientation to Community Learning and Risk Management. Faculty might familiarize
themselves with Student and Community Partner forms as well. Student leaders from
the CCLL can also help introduce, distribute and collect student forms in a community
learning class. Please contact the Center if you would like advice or in-class help
related to the forms.

Community Partners

Community organizations share the concerns of the CSU and SJSU in the safety and success
of students, staff and clientele in community learning within the community. Therefore
it is important to address risk management issues. Risk management provides tools
to identify areas of potential difficulty and to reduce risk by educating and preparing
stakeholders (the university, students, and community partners). Identifying risk
in advance reduces concerns about liability that may undermine a program or project.

Best practices for risk management

A Community Learning Agreement is established between the SJSU Center for Community
Learning & Leadership and community organization/placement site regarding student
service activities and liability.

The community partner conducts an orientation to service at its site. An Orientation
Checklist is provided to guide orientation the orientation of students.

Students assess and understand any risk such that they can provide informed consent
prior to engaging in service activities, that is, by completing a Student Community
Learning Plan. This form contains contact information of for all stakeholders.

Students understand their roles and have the training, knowledge, skills and tools
to perform their service duties safely and effectively.

While there is a Student Tracking Sheet for service hours, of greater validity is
the Volunteer Log or Sign-in procedure of your organization. A Community Organization
Community Learning Sign-In Sheet is offered for your use.

All stakeholders (students, faculty, community site supervisors) are encouraged to
report problems, potential hazards or feelings of being physically or emotionally
at risk.

Community partners monitor students' service experiences and addresses risk issues
quickly if they arise.

Community partner organizations should be familiar with risk management forms and support their use. Partners may also have forms of their own to employ. Partners
who have the benefit of our AmeriCorps PLUS Teams may involve these liaisons in processing
forms and managing risks.